My family doesn't get this idea, so I need someone who understands and appreciates our dear Keats.

"Come... dry your eyes, for you are life, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg; the clay in which the forces that shape all things leave their fingerprints most clearly. Dry your eyes... and let's go home."

I'll be joining you!On Saturday I'm giving a talk at a local old folk's community (my mother used to live there before she passed away.) It's going to be on the life of John Keats, in celebration of his birthday. I made a slide show and (with my daughter's help) put in on a DVD so I can show pictures while I talk about him. I'm not very good at public speaking and I'm sort of nervous, but I'm very happy about the prospect of sharing him with other people.And on Sunday, probably I'll spend the day with Walter Jackson Bate's biography,which I just started for the first time. And the claret sounds like a great idea! But I'll be thinking about you and all of the other people around the world who will be pausing during the day to be glad that he was born 215 years ago.

I'll be on a drive back from Canada on the 31st so I will most likely celebrate by enjoying the natural scenery. Maybe I'll read To Autumn aloud to my friend and driving companion. She had to put up with me and my Keats-mania when we went to Britain last year so she would be patient with me

My family doesn't get this idea, so I need someone who understands and appreciates our dear Keats.

Speaking of Claret, BrokenLyre, I discovered an amazing claret a few years ago from the Robert Karl winery--a local winery here in Eastern Washington. Do you get any Washington wines up in your neck of the woods?

You bet I'll celebrate!! Always have, always will!!Most likely I'll do so with my brother (also a "John"!). We'll toast with a bottle of claret, as well, and read our favourite poems and excerpts. We usually take a walk in honour of autumn -- it is such a significant time of the year in Keats's life: the season of his birth, and most likely his favourite season, as well as the season he and Fanny became engaged (according to those who are far more expert than I on the Keats-Brawne relationship!). Autumn is such a beautiful time here in the mountains of North Carolina. We may also look back through the pictures of our pilgrimages to London and Rome (summer of 2009), and lament . . .

"But if you will fully love me, though there may be some fire, 'twill not be more than we can bear when moistened and bedewed with Pleasures." JK to FB 08.07.1819

Great to hear that I will celebrate Keats's birthday with all my friends here. You all have good ideas.Malia - I have a claret called "Newton" from the Napa Valley, California, 2006. I will look into the wine you mentioned. Here in Buffalo, NY we don't have that many choices from the northwest US but I will look.

I tried other clarets locally, but I wasn't too impressed. Believe it or not, I actually cannot digest alcohol because my body lacks the gene that codes for the enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the liver. Without the enzyme, alcohol stays in my system and is not metabolized. My grandmother had the same problem. Oh well. I will never be an alcoholic.

So I will drink very slowly...maybe put some cayenne pepper on the tongue.

"Come... dry your eyes, for you are life, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg; the clay in which the forces that shape all things leave their fingerprints most clearly. Dry your eyes... and let's go home."

BrokenLyre wrote:Great to hear that I will celebrate Keats's birthday with all my friends here. You all have good ideas.Malia - I have a claret called "Newton" from the Napa Valley, California, 2006. I will look into the wine you mentioned. Here in Buffalo, NY we don't have that many choices from the northwest US but I will look.

I tried other clarets locally, but I wasn't too impressed. Believe it or not, I actually cannot digest alcohol because my body lacks the gene that codes for the enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the liver. Without the enzyme, alcohol stays in my system and is not metabolized. My grandmother had the same problem. Oh well. I will never be an alcoholic.

So I will drink very slowly...maybe put some cayenne pepper on the tongue.

BrokenLyre,

I had thought at one time to try the cayenne pepper bit, but decided against it because I'm not sure Keats ever did that. You know, that was BRHaydon's recollection and I'm not one of Haydon's "fans." I'm not sure his rememberance of all things Keats is particularly reliable. I know how fond of claret Keats was because of his letters, but I don't believe he ever mentioned the cayenne pepper-claret on the tongue "experiment." Being the great sensualist that he was, surely he would have addressed that experience in a letter had he actually done it. However, I may try it anyway, because it would be such a Keastian thing to do (like Whishaw/Keats climbing that tree and laying down on top of the branches in "Bright Star." Keats probably never did such a thing, but it is, still, such a Keatsian thing to do!).Oh, and speaking of how we are celebrating our boy's birthday, I forgot to mention my brother and I will be watching "Bright Star," and my students will get a (very) small sliver of birthday cake in class tomorrow (Friday).

"But if you will fully love me, though there may be some fire, 'twill not be more than we can bear when moistened and bedewed with Pleasures." JK to FB 08.07.1819